Overview
EN ISO 13753:2008 (adopting ISO 13753:1998) defines a laboratory method for measuring the vibration transmissibility of resilient materials (rubbers, foams, layered sheets, cloth-on-foam systems) when loaded by the hand–arm system. The standard provides a reproducible procedure to quantify how handle coverings and glove materials attenuate or transmit hand‑transmitted vibration, supporting material selection, product development and compliance testing related to hand‑arm vibration risk.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Purpose and scope: Measures transmissibility of materials that behave approximately linearly and have negligible mass compared with the loading mass. Intended as a screening test for materials used on tool handles and in gloves.
- Test principle: A resilient sample is placed on a vibration shaker and loaded by a specified mass. Simultaneous acceleration measurements on the shaker and on the loading mass are used to determine the material impedance, which is then combined with the standardized hand–arm impedance to compute transmissibility.
- Equipment and signals:
- Twin‑channel frequency analyser, two accelerometers and appropriate preamplifiers.
- Accelerometers and mounting must ensure unity transfer up to at least 1 000 Hz.
- Excitation may be wide‑band random (specified power spectral density) or sinusoidal; coherence between channels should be high (recommended > 0.95).
- Sample and loading: Flat sample with a circular test area (minimum radius specified in the standard) and a metal cylindrical loading mass (radius and mass given in the standard).
- Frequency range and reporting:
- Transmissibility is reported at one‑third‑octave centre frequencies between 50 Hz and 500 Hz (measurements down to 10 Hz recommended if feasible).
- Calculation and accuracy:
- Material impedance is derived from the measured transfer function and the loading mass; transmissibility is calculated using hand–arm impedance values from ISO 10068.
- Repeatability/accuracy of transmissibility is typically around ±10%, depending on sample linearity and measurement conditions.
- Assumptions and limits: Focuses on palm/handle contact (z‑direction) and may not apply to finger contact or full glove performance (see ISO 10819 for glove testing).
Applications and users
- Material screening and ranking for handle coverings and glove padding
- R&D teams developing vibration‑attenuating grips and personal protective equipment
- Test laboratories performing standardized transmissibility measurements
- Occupational hygienists, ergonomists, and manufacturers of hand‑held power tools assessing vibration control options
- Compliance officers referencing harmonization with European Machinery Directives (informative Annexes ZA/ZB)
Related standards
- ISO 10068 - Hand–arm free mechanical impedance (used in calculations)
- ISO 10819 - Measurement of glove transmissibility (product-level glove testing)
- ISO 5349, ISO 2041, ISO 5805 - vocabularies and hand‑transmitted vibration guidance
Keywords: EN ISO 13753:2008, ISO 13753, hand‑arm vibration, vibration transmissibility, resilient materials, vibration measurement, material impedance, shaker test, accelerometer.